House Democrats have approved a plan to reopen the government without funding President Donald Trump's promised border wall.The largely party-line votes by the new Democratic majority came after Trump made a surprise appearance at the White House briefing room to pledge a continued fight for his signature campaign promise.The Democratic package to end the shutdown includes a bill to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Feb. 8 as bipartisan talks continue. It was approved, 239-192.Democrats also approved, 241-190, a separate measure funding the Agriculture, Interior and other departments through Sept. 30.The homeland security bill is virtually identical to a plan the Senate adopted by voice vote last month. The GOP-controlled House rejected the plan the next day, forcing a partial shutdownThe key sticking point in the shutdown fight has been the president's demand for $5 billion in wall funding, which congressional Democrats have refused to meet.House Democrats have stressed that their plan to reopen the government would not provide any additional funding for a border wall, leading congressional Republicans and the White House to call the effort a "nonstarter." On Thursday evening, the White House issued a veto threat against the legislation ahead of the expected House vote.Earlier in the day, newly elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the president's wall as "a waste of money" and "an immorality" during a news conference hours after reclaiming the gavel in the new Congress.The partial government shutdown stretched into its 13th day on Thursday, when the new Democratic House majority was sworn in.As the stalemate continues, there is no end in sight to the partial shutdown, which is affecting hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have either been furloughed or have had to work without pay."We're trying to open up government," Pelosi said on Thursday.But she suggested that Democrats don't plan to budge from their refusal to allocate wall money."We're not doing a wall," Pelosi said emphatically. "Does anybody have any doubt? We are not doing a wall."Trump made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room Thursday on the 13th day of the partial government shutdown, as he continued to dig in his heels over his promised border wall."Without a wall you cannot have border security," Trump said, insisting he has never had as much support on any issue as he has gotten in the past week. Trump left without taking questions, as did his staff.The White House has invited congressional leaders back for another meeting Friday, two days after failing to make progress during their first sit-down in weeks.The new Congress convened with Democrats taking majority control of the House and returning Democratic leader Pelosi to the speakership. Democrats expect to quickly pass legislation to reopen the government — without funds for Trump's border wall. "There is no amount of persuasion he can use" to get her to fund his wall, Pelosi said in an interview that aired Thursday on NBC's "Today." She added: "We can go through the back and forth. No. How many more times can we say no?"Trump accused the Democrats of playing politics, as his White House signaled he was standing firm in his funding demands. Continuing to argue the wall is needed, he tweeted a video with images of what appeared to be migrants trying to rush the border and clashing with law enforcement, beneath the words "crisis at the border," ''drugs" and "crime." The video concludes with footage of Trump at the border along with audio from one of his rallies in which he vows to build his promised border wall and the crowd chants "Build the wall!"Speaking on Capitol Hill, Vice President Mike Pence said the White House would work with Democrats and Republicans to "achieve the kind of agreement that will provide the border security that the American people need. And that means a wall, that means a physical barrier, but it also means a broad range of border security measures that'll make our country more secure."The White House has previously rejected the Democratic package."Why not fully fund the Department of Homeland Security? Why doesn't the Pelosi bill do that?" said White House counselor Kellyanne Conway.On Thursday, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer urged McConnell to put the House Democratic package on the Senate floor and send it to Trump."At this point, we need to take the lead here in Congress in the hopes that we can show President Trump the sweet light of reason," Schumer said.But Republicans who control the Senate say they won't take it up without Trump on board. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it a "total nonstarter" and a waste of time."I would call it political theater, not productive lawmaking," McConnell said Thursday, as he opened the new Congress.Pence and Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney were on the Hill Thursday.Mulvaney, a former member, was on the House floor during the vote for speaker. Pence, who was on the Hill swearing in new senators for a few hours, had an impromptu, brief chat with Schumer, encouraging him to attend the Friday meeting at the White House.Trump said ahead of his White House session with the congressional leaders that the partial shutdown will last "as long as it takes" to get the funding he wants.In public, Trump renewed his dire warnings of rapists and others at the border. But when pressed in private Wednesday by Democrats asking why he wouldn't end the shutdown, he responded at one point, "I would look foolish if I did that." A White House official, one of two people who described that exchange only on condition of anonymity, said the president had been trying to explain that it would be foolish not to pay for border security."Could be a long time or could be quickly," Trump said during lengthy public comments at a Cabinet meeting, his first public appearance of the new year. Meanwhile, the shutdown has closed some parks and leaving hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay.House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said that there's no need to prolong the shutdown and that he was disappointed the talks did not produce a resolution. He complained that Democrats interrupted Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen as she was trying to describe a dreadful situation at the border.The two sides have traded offers, but their talks broke down ahead of the holidays. On Wednesday, Trump also rejected his own administration's offer to accept $2.5 billion for the wall. That proposal was made when Mike Pence and other top officials met at the start of the shutdown with Schumer, who left saying they remained far apart. On Wednesday Trump repeatedly pushed for the $5.6 billion he has demanded.Making his case ahead of the private afternoon session, Trump said the current border is "like a sieve" and noted the tear gas "flying" overnight to deter arrivals."If they knew they couldn't come through, they wouldn't even start," he said at the meeting, joined by Cabinet secretaries and top advisers, including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.With no negotiations over the holidays, Trump complained he had been "lonely" at the White House, having skipped his getaway to Mar-a-Lago in Florida. He claimed his only companions were the "machine gunners," referring to security personnel, and "they don't wave, they don't smile." He also criticized Pelosi for visiting Hawaii.She responded Thursday, saying, "The president may not know this, but Hawaii is part of the United States of America." She says she was available on 24 hours' notice.The partial government shutdown began Dec. 22.___Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman, Kevin Freking, Mary Clare Jalonick and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.

House Democrats have approved a plan to reopen the government without funding President Donald Trump's promised border wall.

The largely party-line votes by the new Democratic majority came after Trump made a surprise appearance at the White House briefing room to pledge a continued fight for his signature campaign promise.

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The Democratic package to end the shutdown includes a bill to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Feb. 8 as bipartisan talks continue. It was approved, 239-192.

Democrats also approved, 241-190, a separate measure funding the Agriculture, Interior and other departments through Sept. 30.

The homeland security bill is virtually identical to a plan the Senate adopted by voice vote last month. The GOP-controlled House rejected the plan the next day, forcing a partial shutdown

The key sticking point in the shutdown fight has been the president's demand for $5 billion in wall funding, which congressional Democrats have refused to meet.

House Democrats have stressed that their plan to reopen the government would not provide any additional funding for a border wall, leading congressional Republicans and the White House to call the effort a "nonstarter." On Thursday evening, the White House issued a veto threat against the legislation ahead of the expected House vote.

Earlier in the day, newly elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the president's wall as "a waste of money" and "an immorality" during a news conference hours after reclaiming the gavel in the new Congress.

The partial government shutdown stretched into its 13th day on Thursday, when the new Democratic House majority was sworn in.

As the stalemate continues, there is no end in sight to the partial shutdown, which is affecting hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have either been furloughed or have had to work without pay.

"We're trying to open up government," Pelosi said on Thursday.

But she suggested that Democrats don't plan to budge from their refusal to allocate wall money.

"We're not doing a wall," Pelosi said emphatically. "Does anybody have any doubt? We are not doing a wall."

Trump made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room Thursday on the 13th day of the partial government shutdown, as he continued to dig in his heels over his promised border wall.

"Without a wall you cannot have border security," Trump said, insisting he has never had as much support on any issue as he has gotten in the past week. Trump left without taking questions, as did his staff.

The White House has invited congressional leaders back for another meeting Friday, two days after failing to make progress during their first sit-down in weeks.

The new Congress convened with Democrats taking majority control of the House and returning Democratic leader Pelosi to the speakership. Democrats expect to quickly pass legislation to reopen the government — without funds for Trump's border wall.

"There is no amount of persuasion he can use" to get her to fund his wall, Pelosi said in an interview that aired Thursday on NBC's "Today." She added: "We can go through the back and forth. No. How many more times can we say no?"

Trump accused the Democrats of playing politics, as his White House signaled he was standing firm in his funding demands. Continuing to argue the wall is needed, he tweeted a video with images of what appeared to be migrants trying to rush the border and clashing with law enforcement, beneath the words "crisis at the border," ''drugs" and "crime." The video concludes with footage of Trump at the border along with audio from one of his rallies in which he vows to build his promised border wall and the crowd chants "Build the wall!"

Speaking on Capitol Hill, Vice President Mike Pence said the White House would work with Democrats and Republicans to "achieve the kind of agreement that will provide the border security that the American people need. And that means a wall, that means a physical barrier, but it also means a broad range of border security measures that'll make our country more secure."

The White House has previously rejected the Democratic package.

"Why not fully fund the Department of Homeland Security? Why doesn't the Pelosi bill do that?" said White House counselor Kellyanne Conway.

On Thursday, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer urged McConnell to put the House Democratic package on the Senate floor and send it to Trump.

"At this point, we need to take the lead here in Congress in the hopes that we can show President Trump the sweet light of reason," Schumer said.

But Republicans who control the Senate say they won't take it up without Trump on board. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it a "total nonstarter" and a waste of time.

"I would call it political theater, not productive lawmaking," McConnell said Thursday, as he opened the new Congress.

Pence and Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney were on the Hill Thursday.

Mulvaney, a former member, was on the House floor during the vote for speaker. Pence, who was on the Hill swearing in new senators for a few hours, had an impromptu, brief chat with Schumer, encouraging him to attend the Friday meeting at the White House.

Trump said ahead of his White House session with the congressional leaders that the partial shutdown will last "as long as it takes" to get the funding he wants.

In public, Trump renewed his dire warnings of rapists and others at the border. But when pressed in private Wednesday by Democrats asking why he wouldn't end the shutdown, he responded at one point, "I would look foolish if I did that." A White House official, one of two people who described that exchange only on condition of anonymity, said the president had been trying to explain that it would be foolish not to pay for border security.

"Could be a long time or could be quickly," Trump said during lengthy public comments at a Cabinet meeting, his first public appearance of the new year. Meanwhile, the shutdown has closed some parks and leaving hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said that there's no need to prolong the shutdown and that he was disappointed the talks did not produce a resolution. He complained that Democrats interrupted Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen as she was trying to describe a dreadful situation at the border.

The two sides have traded offers, but their talks broke down ahead of the holidays. On Wednesday, Trump also rejected his own administration's offer to accept $2.5 billion for the wall. That proposal was made when Mike Pence and other top officials met at the start of the shutdown with Schumer, who left saying they remained far apart. On Wednesday Trump repeatedly pushed for the $5.6 billion he has demanded.

Making his case ahead of the private afternoon session, Trump said the current border is "like a sieve" and noted the tear gas "flying" overnight to deter arrivals.

"If they knew they couldn't come through, they wouldn't even start," he said at the meeting, joined by Cabinet secretaries and top advisers, including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

With no negotiations over the holidays, Trump complained he had been "lonely" at the White House, having skipped his getaway to Mar-a-Lago in Florida. He claimed his only companions were the "machine gunners," referring to security personnel, and "they don't wave, they don't smile." He also criticized Pelosi for visiting Hawaii.

She responded Thursday, saying, "The president may not know this, but Hawaii is part of the United States of America." She says she was available on 24 hours' notice.